# Infection, fever and immunity and offspring ADHD in a population-based pregnancy/birth cohort

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $424,517

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Growing evidence from epidemiologic, clinical and animal model studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) supports a role for pre- and postnatal immune and infectious factors in the
pathogenesis of this common, disabling and frequently persistent disorder. ADHD is a major contributor
to the psychosocial and economic burden of neurodevelopmental disabilities globally, affecting 5% of
children in the United States, and is frequently complicated by comorbidity with substance use and other
psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities and criminality. Associations of ADHD with exposure of
mothers during pregnancy and infants in early life to specific pathogens and fever episodes are reported,
but individual differences in innate and adaptive immune responses, and concomitant exposures to
medications and immunity-regulating micronutrients, have not been rigorously and prospectively
addressed. This project will leverage the unique data and biological sample resources of the Norwegian
Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University
for insights into the role of infection and immunity in ADHD through pursuit of three complementary aims
that address not only maternally-reported infection, fever and immune/inflammatory disease but also
quantitative measures of immune activation and pathogen-directed antibody responses. Because MoBa
mothers report illness events and symptoms as well as medication use in 4-week intervals throughout
pregnancy, unusually rich information is available to relate the timing of these phenomena, rather than
gestation per se, to ADHD outcomes. In Aim 1 we will investigate the relationship of maternal and child
infection, fever and immune disorders to ADHD risk using prospective MoBa questionnaire data,
controlling for medication use (antipyretics, analgesics, antibiotics) and intake of micronutrients with
immunomodulatory potential (vitamin D, zinc). In Aim 2 we will define the immune signatures in plasma
from mothers and children during pregnancy and at birth and determine their association with ADHD risk
using multiplexed immunoassays (Luminex) to compare levels of 60 immune/inflammatory molecules
with known or suspected effects on neurogenesis and synaptogenesis broadly as well as ADHD-relevant
dopaminergic circuitry more specifically. In Aim 3 we will examine the role of specific infectious agents
implicated in ADHD by measuring maternal antibodies at mid-gestation and birth to ToRCH pathogens
Toxoplasma gondii, rubellavirus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 using multiplexed
immunoassays (Luminex) and to influenza viruses using luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS).
In concert, these aims have the potential to identify novel factors and biomarkers for ADHD risk that
could facilitate early diagnosis and intervention and guide the development of preventive measures.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9963330
- **Project number:** 5R01HD090051-04
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** MADY Hornig HORNIG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $424,517
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9963330

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9963330, Infection, fever and immunity and offspring ADHD in a population-based pregnancy/birth cohort (5R01HD090051-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9963330. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*